The Morning After
by Era of Rain
Summary: The war is over, but everyone carries a piece of it with them, whether it be old wounds or new friends. Spoilers for series finale. Collection of one-shots. Ch.3: "Teo lies and says that he hasn’t, and Haru knows better than to correct him."
1. Staying Put

**A/N: **As the summary stated, this will essentially be a collection of one-shots about my speculation as to what happened to the characters after the show. It was especially inspired by Smellerbee and Longshot because damn it, I wanted to know what happened to them. Hence why I'm starting with them.

EDIT: I've made some revisions. Yes, I do have a bad habit of editing things after I submit them.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

Smellerbee doesn't like Ba Sing Se. It reminds her of the Dai Li, of Long Feng, of conspiracies, of _Jet_. It makes her miss him so badly she doesn't know what to do sometimes. Yet it's her home now, with Longshot. They have nowhere else to go.

They haven't kept in touch with the other Freedom Fighters since they decided to come here in the first place. News travels quickly though, especially to the newly reformed capital of the Earth Kingdom. They know that Pipsqueak and The Duke helped the Avatar's group during the war. The two get credit for their contributions, even if it's just a passing mention of their names when talking about the "great warriors" who fought against the Fire Nation. Smellerbee never hears about Longshot or herself – she's not sure whether to be happy or sad about that. She was never looking for fame and glory when she decided to help the Avatar, but it kind of hurts to know that no one will ever care about what she and Longshot went through _(what Jet went through)_.

She still thinks about when Jet died. Jet and his beliefs were all she and Longshot really knew, so what were they supposed to do with him gone? It felt wrong to continue fighting against the Fire Nation when they didn't even know if that was really right anymore. It felt wrong to fight against the Earth Kingdom – was that what Jet would've wanted them do? They didn't know anything anymore, so they just waited and watched as the Fire Nation took over Ba Sing Se, and as the Earth Kingdom reclaimed it. They watched as everyone around became happy, but they stayed the same.

Ba Sing Se is a city of walls and secrets, famous tea and stories. But to Smellerbee, it's a city of sacrifices and war, bad memories and Jet.

* * *

Longshot hasn't spoken since he told the Avatar's group to leave, back under Lake Laogai. He wonders if he'll ever talk again, or if his words then will be his last. It'd be like a tribute to Jet, in a way, if he were ever that sentimental. He's not though, so he figures he'll end up talking again one day. It'd shock their neighbours for sure.

It feels odd to think they have neighbours now. Back in the days of the Freedom Fighters, their only neighbours were the animals living up in the trees with them. Now, their neighbours are that woman with a constantly crying child, a man who noisily sells newspapers everyday, and an old woman who's going blind. There are others but he doesn't like to associate himself with many people. The war may be over, but he's still as cautious as ever. The old woman tells him to relax – he's still young; he should enjoy life.

There isn't a lot to enjoy for him. Memories of the war keep resurfacing, interrupting his thoughts and stopping him from moving on _(from accepting that the war doesn't exist anymore)_. The people around him might be able to – they didn't grow up dedicating their lives to the war. The Avatar and his group might be able to – this was their decision.

They have happy endings, Longshot knows (_but where is his and Smellerbee's?)_.

* * *

The two have made a grave for Jet. Somehow, they managed to carry his body out of Lake Laogai, under Smellerbee's insistence. It's not an official grave, only a stone near the outskirts of the city with his body buried in front of it. Still, it gives them some satisfaction knowing an unofficial grave suits Jet better than a real one ever will _(not that he'd ever get one)_. His grave won't just be another among the many rows in the cemetery.

"Hey, Jet," Smellerbee whispers, wondering if somewhere in the afterlife, he can hear her. Longshot is standing behind her.

"Longshot and I are doing… okay, I guess." It's a lie, but hopefully Jet won't be able to tell. They aren't doing "okay," and she knows this. They're still falling apart.

"How about you? Is the afterlife nice? I hope it's treating you better than this place ever did." Life wasn't all that bad for Jet, she supposes, but the fact he died so early equals bad in Smellerbee's mind. Then again, maybe death wasn't such a bad thing for him (_would it have been better for him to be living like them?)._

"So don't worry about us," Longshot adds, and Smellerbee turns around in surprise. He repeats for emphasis,

"So don't worry about us."

This is the life they've chosen, after all _(Jet, the war, the Fire Nation, fighting, everything)_.

They refuse to let it go.

* * *

**A/N: **Somehow, I could never really imagine these two being able to accept easily that the war was over. And I had to stick lots of Jet-mentions in there, seeing as how the lives of these two revolve around him and because I was annoyed at how none of the other characters really seemed to care about the fact he died (or was badly injured, in their view).

Constructive criticism welcome (I do feel like something was off in this).


	2. Moving On and Back

**A/N:** And now for Toph.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

Toph returned to life as the Blind Bandit and kicked butt once again.

No one considered it strange that she didn't want to settle for peace and quiet even after fighting for so long. Earthbending was her life (and it'd be one of life's greatest tragedies to let such awesome talent go to waste). Besides, it wasn't as if she completely returned to her old life.

The Blind Bandit didn't work alone anymore. Together with the Boulder and the Big Bad Hippo, they competed in the earthbending competitions, and took tournaments by the storm. They expanded past the Earth Rumble, and Toph could hear people whispering when they walked by.

She was famous.

She had to admit that being with the Boulder and the Hippo had increased her fan base and popularity. People used to react to the Blind Bandit as "Uh, a little girl?" But not anymore. Of course, her two most loyal fans were Pipsqueak and The Duke, especially the latter. The two often met up with them (little people have to stick together when surrounded by big people, after all). Toph never got tired of showing off some earthbending moves and having The Duke give "ooh"s and "ah"s.

She doubted her parents approved though. Out of all people, it was actually Zuko who convinced her to go pay them a visit. Toph won't ever admit it, but she was hesitant. She was used to just kicking the butt of people who didn't like her. Obviously, that would never be an option when it came to her _parents_.

A servant opened the door, and gasped at the sight of her before calling for her mother. Toph was suddenly struck with the realisation that she was home. The home she ran away from months ago – what if her parents tried to keep her there? Yeah, she could always bust her way out, but she didn't really want to do that with them. After all, they were still her parents, even if they were a pain.

"Toph?" She could feel her mother embracing her tightly, and gently pried her off.

"I'm one of the greatest earthbenders in the world. I've beat too many Fire Nation soldiers to count. I helped bring the war to an end. The Avatar himself is sometimes scared of me," Toph informed her calmly, "I'm not a frail little girl, so don't treat me like one ever again." It was gentler than Toph was used to when telling someone off, but again, this was her mother. It seemed everyone had a soft spot for his or her mother.

"Toph…" A repeat. Toph shook her head.

"I just came to say hi and see how you were doing. I'll be leaving now." Her mother didn't say anything when Toph left, and all she could hear was the sound of her footsteps. It was clear enough that there were no more words that could be said.

* * *

She was a little melancholy for a while (although she knew neither the Boulder nor the Hippo had the guts to say it), and they didn't enter any tournaments for a while. In the next one they did enter, she could tell she was being more aggressive, and people talked about it for days. Toph ignored it, and her two partners still never said anything. The Duke did though, and Toph almost earthbended at him before reminding herself that he was only a kid and that she could seriously kill him without thinking. Instead she retorted, "You're just a kid – what do you know?" He gave indignant replies, but Toph was no longer listening.

In the end, he forgave her and they continued their friendship like before. Or somewhat like before. Toph didn't need to be a genius to notice she had changed. Zuko seemed to notice it as well when they all got together for another reunion (they were like the third wheels sometimes – couldn't see the others as often), but like the Boulder and the Hippo, he said nothing. Toph was kind of glad though. It was easier when everybody shut up.

* * *

Eventually, she split up with the Boulder and the Hippo.

"It's been fun," she told them. They looked crestfallen, but Toph knew they'd get over it. It wasn't like they were saying goodbye forever – she just needed to think for a bit. Being earthbenders (and butt-kickers) they slugged each other and gave sassy remarks in place of hugs, but the feeling was still there.

(Being a bit sad about leaving was another thing Toph would never admit).

* * *

It was time for that field trip with Zuko she never got, she decided (and she still needed to pay him back for him cutting her off that last time). She did her first real "on her own" travelling – all the way from the Earth Kingdom to the Fire Nation palace. She whistled at herself, and gulped down a bowl of fire flakes.

It was Zuko's girlfriend whom Toph first encountered when she entered the palace. A few moments of silence passed between them before Mai spoke.

"… Follow me – he's upstairs." Aw, how nice. She took into consideration the fact she was blind.

True to her word, Mai led her to Zuko. She knocked on the door – "Zuko, it's Toph" before promptly exiting the scene, leaving Toph alone with Zuko when the door opened.

"Uh, hey."

"Field trip time. You owe me." She betted Zuko wasn't too thrilled, but he probably knew he had no choice because he answered, "Just wait," and closed the door. A couple of minutes later, he opened it.

"So… where to?" Wow, and here Toph had thought that becoming the Fire Lord might've made him more eloquent. Zuko would never really change, she figured.

They ended up taking a walk around the outskirts of the Fire Nation. Toph didn't say anything at first.

"… Is this about your parents?"

"Yeah. I visited them like you told me to. It wasn't really fulfilling."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay. I guess I kind of thought that when this whole war blew over, then maybe they'd accept who I really am." Toph kicked over a rock.

"They didn't?" She paused to think about that.

"Actually… I didn't give my mom a chance to say anything. She didn't chase after me though, so I guess that means she thinks the same way as before but knows this time not to try and stop me."

"Maybe she was too shocked at seeing you again." Toph shrugged. She preferred deluding herself into believing she was right and that her parents were being overly stubborn.

"Maybe," she replied gruffly. Zuko stopped walking, and Toph stopped with him.

"Go see them again."

"What?"

"What am I supposed to do? Things don't just suddenly get better by talking to me. You have to actually _do_ something. Or has the infamous Blind Bandit gotten _soft_?" That did it. Toph slugged a boulder in what was hopefully his face. He gave a quiet "Ow" as he fell, but to her surprise, didn't start yelling.

"Throwing rocks at me won't help, Toph."

* * *

She would never tell him, but he was right. She went back to her home, and knocked on the door once more. It was the same servant (or the same voice, at least), this time calling for both of her parents.

"Toph!"

"Yeah, that's what you said last time. Got anything new to say?" Anger boiled up inside of her, but she wasn't sure why. She figured out why when they rejected her again; her father said things while her mother said nothing. Toph didn't really remember what said, only that the words hadn't meant to be cruel (which was a small comfort) and despite all the present discomfort, they loved her. They just couldn't accept the way she was now, and that was that. Toph knew there would be no more attempts to reconnect with her parents.

At least they gave her money to support herself. It was a nice thought, and the first thing she did was go on another ship to the Fire Nation.

Zuko got another rock thrown at him. "Your advice sucks."

"… Sorry?"

"You should be."

* * *

Toph went back to being the Blind Bandit after that. Competing in tournaments helped her forget things temporarily, the sweet feeling of victory when she knocked her opponent out of the ring. She guessed this was her way of dealing with things – like her anger went away with the rocks she threw. She saw the Boulder and the Hippo again (and beat them, of course). Pipsqueak and The Duke still cheered for her, and even Teo and Haru came with them once. Having people she actually knew come see her made her feel like a real celebrity. Not just a commonly whispered name among strangers. Or maybe that was simply friendship she was feeling, and not fame.

One day was especially good because Aang and Katara were there and offered her to come visit their home. Penguin sledding was fun, and Sokka and Suki came over as well. Toph felt like she was back in the good old days.

The good old days, she told herself, weren't really that different from now. Even there in the South where it was freezing and Toph actually felt blind with the ice under her feet, not a whole lot had changed. They were all still together, laughing and chatting away about things that weren't that important. Aang was still as fun-loving as ever, Katara as nagging, Sokka still a goofball. And Toph still kicked butt.

In reality, had anything really changed? Was her parents' lack of acceptance anything new to her?

* * *

No, Toph realised, nothing had changed.

* * *

**A/N: **Come on, Toph / The Duke friendship is completely canon. I mean, they hug at the end.

Constructive criticism welcome.


	3. Barrier

**A/N:** Ty Lee was originally going to be next, but Teo and Haru ended up popping up instead.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

* * *

Wind rushing past his face _(cold, fresh)_, the ground miles beneath him _(exhilarating, dangerous)_. Swoops, swerves, swivels _(like an airbender)_, nearly crashing into a few tall trees now and then _(I'm okay, not hurt)_.

Rumble as the boulder lifts from the ground _(firm, strong)_, colliding with the ditch wall _(earthbending is forbidden here)_. The freedom of being who he is _(like asking me not to waterbend)_, the strength he knows he has _(Haru can help)_.

Teo belongs in the sky; Haru belongs on the ground. They clash at times, but are drawn together by a common interest – to see the world.

It took a long time for Teo to convince his father to let him explore on his own outside of the Northern Air Temple. He could remember their argument clearly. His father not-quite yelling at him _(crippled, unsafe)_, and replying with his own points _(defended the temple, fought in the invasion)_. Refusing to relent _(stubborn, hints of the earth)_, with anger and disappointment in the air _(making weapons for the Fire Nation)_. In the end though, Teo's father was the one to give in, though he demanded Teo have a companion to travel with him.

Haru had it easier. There were no arguments or anger. Only his mother's worried face _(it's too dangerous; now it's not)_, and his father's silent permission _(capable, not a coward anymore)_. Promises to be careful _(could be taken away)_, and to return home one day _(just got out, now back in)_.

Swooping closer to the ground, but skilfully managing not to land, Teo sees Haru practicing his earthbending. There is some awe in seeing a large boulder – one that could easily crush him – being flung so easily. However, he has difficulty in being truly interested in it – it hardly compares to the feeling he has while flying through the air. Truthfully, the thought of staring at rocks all day bores him a bit. He has no love for the ground, only appreciation for the necessity of the foundation.

Haru looks up at the sky to see Teo flying about while giving out whoops and laughs. Soaring freely through the air, unbound to the ground. Something that Haru will never do or be, even though Teo once offered to let him try should they ever visit the Northern Air Temple. Truthfully, the thought of flying terrifies him a bit. He has no love for the skies, only appreciation for the freedom it represents.

Teo is gliding faster now but rather than feeling nervous, he is only excited. Soaring vertically upwards, past the clouds, he laughs before looping and dropping back down in a curve. However, he fails to remember that this is not the Air Temple – this is the Earth Kingdom, with its rocks and trees. He only realises this when he suddenly enters a forest, and he knows that he will not make it through. A branch catches onto his glider, and at the speed he is going at, the glider is dislodged from his wheelchair and he fall. He lands on his side, and is faintly aware of rumbling.

It's hard to miss the figure heading towards the forest, and Haru is hardly oblivious. He drops the boulder he just raised and quickly heads for the trees. It does not take him long to find Teo, with his ripped glider hanging onto a tree and the boy on the ground, still attached to his wheelchair. He instantly remembers when Teo crashes into a wall at the Western Air Temple and had to sport a bandage around his head, before waving the thought away. Teo is hurt, he reminds himself, and that it is no time to be reminiscing.

"You okay?" he asks, and receives a small groan in reply. Teo is looking at him at least – he is somewhat aware of his surroundings.

"… Guess I should have watched where I was going, huh?" he replies weakly, and Haru notices the bruises, dislocated elbow, and the blood pooling around his head. He knows he needs medical help, and preferably soon.

"Dad's going to be mad at me," Teo manages, and Haru gives him a small smile before lifting him back into an upright position. He is silently thankful that the wheelchair remained intact – he wouldn't have known what to do if it hadn't.

"Should I fetch your glider?" Teo shakes his head.

"It's useless now." With that, Haru pushes him out of the forest. Fortunately, the nearest town isn't too far away, and despite coming close to blacking out a few times, Teo remains conscious. Haru is relieved to find out that the wounds are nothing serious, although the boy will have to wear a cast for a while. Teo seems unperturbed though – he claims to be used to it.

Weeks pass before he is finally allowed to take it off and return to the skies. Haru appears slightly surprised to hear that he is still just as willing to fly despite what happened. Teo shrugs, as injuries have stopped scaring him years ago.

"Does getting hit by a boulder by accident scare you away from earthbending?" he asks. Haru looks thoughtful for a second before shaking his head. Teo smiles, his point proven.

Haru thinks otherwise – it's more likely for Teo to crash and be severely injured than for Haru to make a major mistake while earthbending, but he says nothing.

Eventually, they visit the Northern Air Temple. The people there heartily greet them, especially Teo – Haru has forgotten that it has been months since Teo left. His father checks him for injuries and asks him if he's had any accidents. Teo lies and says that he hasn't, and Haru knows better than to correct him.

Much to his dismay though, Teo and the rest of the temple residents force him to go gliding. Haru feels awkward with a glider on his back and tries to explain to them that he's an earthbender, that he's not comfortable with something like this. Teo simply laughs and makes him do it anyway.

Ground too far below him _(going to fall and die)_, the unnerving winds rushing past him _(not an airbender)_. Going too fast _(not firm and sturdy)_, can't stop _(earthbending useless)_. Truthfully though, it's not as bad as he thought it would be, but he still can't help but be freaked out. Teo tells him that Katara was just fine, to which Haru retorts that not only is she a _waterbender_, she also flies on Appa's back all the time anyway. He does, however, appreciate that Teo is gliding right along with him, and even holding back from going as fast as he normally does.

Amusement as Haru grips onto the handle for dear life _(remember not to let go, Teo)_, memories of when he first flew _(a natural)_. It was a long time ago – he was raised flying, after all. They do a few turns and swoops – Haru looking like he's going to pass out – before Teo finally has mercy on him and asks if he wants to land. He can tell Haru is thinking about continuing just to be polite, but it looks like fear won in the end, as he agrees. He gets some more amusement out of him as he watches the earthbender attempt to land and instead, crashes ungracefully onto the platform. Teo knows by now, after teaching so many of the children, that the landing looks worse than it hurts.

To be fair, they go to Haru's village, which Teo nicknames "Mining Village." It's a quiet place, but definitely different from the Northern Air Temple. He feels closed in within the walls, but does not dare say so out of courtesy. It is worth it though, he decides, for the look on Haru's face as he hugs his parents. Haru introduces him and invites him into his home. They chat during dinner, although Teo feels a bit out of place. They talk about the village, how the mines are doing, earthbending – none of which he knows anything about. Even when Haru mentions how talented he is at flying, and Teo is given the opportunity to talk about what he loves most, he can't help but feel that flying is not all that important to this old man and his wife.

"What else do you when you don't fly?" one of the village children asks him. Teo is a bit hurt from the answer, despite having known for a long time that he had few hobbies outside of flying. There was never much to do at the Northern Air Temple, and recently, he has come to realise how estranged he is from everyone outside of the temple.

"I… like to explore," he finally says. It is true, but he is aware of the fact that one can only explore for so long before getting bored. When he is done with exploring, he flies. When he cannot fly – like so in this village, he appreciates culture. It's a lie to say the village has no culture – it's the perfect example of a small and quiet Earth Kingdom village. Still, it's no tourist location either, and Teo can only admire mines for so long.

He entertains himself by listening to stories about how the Fire Nation took over the village, but he knows not many like to talk about the subject, and can't help but wonder if he's being a pest. He doesn't think anyone at the Northern Air Temple would have problems with talking about how the Fire Nation attempted to destroy their home, but then again, they are different. He is overjoyed when Haru tells him they're leaving, although he tries not to show it.

Teo is back in the skies, flying freely with the new glider he received from his father. Haru is back on the ground with his earthbending, trying some new moves he learned from _his _father. Sounds of bangs _(bombs, under attack)_, almost feeling the vibrations _(they're coming)_. To him, it's still not as nearly exciting as flying. Wind ruffling his clothes _(we have something they don't)_, soaring higher and higher _(upwards, past clouds)_.

Haru is pleased with how he's improved – still not as good as Toph though, if her tournament matches are proof of her skill – but he knows he's better than the average earthbender. It's the same with Teo – not as good as Aang, but definitely one of the best. He feels a pang of jealousy, watching him control the skies so easily, before remembering how out of place the boy looked on the ground. He was not blind; he realised how awkward Teo felt in his village. Fair retribution for the Northern Air Temple incident though. Haru still remembers flying. Fear of falling _(I'm going to die)_, Teo's arrogant smile _(years of practice)_.

Teo will never be one with the earth _(crippled, awkward)_, and Haru will never be one with the sky _(fear, uncontrolled)_. Still, after the war with the nations, they have to make an effort to try. They helped bring the peace, and even in small ways, they have to help maintain it. Appreciation for what everyone has done – that is another thing that draws them together, and is what holds their relationship. It breaks the barrier between earth and air, and both of them are glad for that.

* * *

Again, constructive criticism is welcome.


End file.
